Campus News

Left to right, Kristen Sharkey and Dana Musil. Day of Caring with the School of Management in the University Heights.
Photographer: Douglas Levere

Adjunct assistant professor, Dianna M Cichocki. Day of Caring with the School of Management in the University Heights.
Photographer: Douglas Levere

Linear Park. Day of Caring with the School of Management in the University Heights.
Photographer: Douglas Levere

Satish and Kamlesh Tripathi (second and third from the left); Barbara Morgan and Chip Zukoski (fourth and fifth from the left); Sean and Diane Sullivan (sixth and seventh from the left). Day of Caring with the School of Management in the University Heights.
Photographer: Douglas Levere

Heights residents Linda Garwol, Bisi Aiyelabowo and Rishabh Mathur. Day of Caring with the School of Management in the University Heights.
Photographer: Douglas Levere

Information explaining the tree mapping being conducted in the University Heights neighborhood. Day of Caring with the School of Management in the University Heights.
Photographer: Douglas Levere

Left to right, Casandra Nicolia, Erin Dings (center) and Li In Wong conduct tree mapping. Day of Caring with the School of Management in the University Heights. Photographer: Douglas Levere

Day of Caring gets boost from UB MBAs

By JACQUELINE MOLIK GHOSEN

“I can’t think of a better way to start this new chapter of my life than by actually doing something good for the community I’m going to be a part of for at least the next two years.”

Varun Suri, First-year MBA student

School of Management

Yuejia Lin dug his spade into the ground of a neighborhood
flower bed at the intersection of Winspear and Northrup in North
Buffalo.

“I have never gardened before in my life,” he
confided, as he aerated the soil and cleaned out the debris.

Lin arrived in the U.S. from China barely two weeks ago to begin
his studies as an MBA student in the UB School of Management. But
what he lacked in experience, he more than made up for in energy
and enthusiasm.

He and 110 other first-year MBAs hit the ground running on
Wednesday as volunteers for the 22nd annual Western New York Day of
Caring. Organized by United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, the
event mobilizes thousands of people to complete hands-on community
service projects in the region.

In addition to tending the community gardens, the management
students worked in small teams in both the University Heights area
and the Kensington Bailey district performing neighborhood cleanup,
removing graffiti, mapping trees and sprucing up the grounds of
Linear Park and the old Campus North PS 63.

Incoming MBA Varun Suri relished the chance to contribute his
time.

“I can’t think of a better way to start this new
chapter of my life than by actually doing something good for the
community I’m going to be a part of for at least the next two
years,” he said.

The MBAs participated in the Day of Caring as one component of
MBA
Advantage, the School of Management’s innovative
professional development series. Beginning with orientation and
continuing throughout the two-year program, MBA Advantage helps
students become quickly involved in the team-based learning
environment that is the backbone of the UB MBA curriculum and
develop skills that others might obtain only through years of
corporate experience.

“Volunteerism and service projects are more than just a
great way to help out,” said Arjang Assad, dean of the School
of Management. “These activities also prepare our students to
work in corporate cultures that focus more and more on giving back.
This is exactly the kind of real-world learning that is the
foundation of MBA Advantage.”

The infusion of the MBA class brought the number of UB
volunteers to more than 260 — an all-time high, according to
Amy Myszka, UB’s volunteer coordinator and director of
Wellness and Work/Life Balance.

President Satish K. Tripathi, Provost Charles Zukoski and other
senior administrators visited all the UB volunteer sites over the
course of the day, catching up with the MBAs late in the
morning.

“We are so proud of the contribution you are making to the
university and to our community,” Tripathi told the students.
“UB’s mission as a public research university is really
about making the world around us a better place through our ideas,
our actions, and our engagement—starting right here in our
surrounding neighborhoods. Your volunteer efforts are an inspiring
example of the difference we can make working together—today
and every day.”

Before Monday, most of the MBAs were strangers. Like other
activities this week, working together on the Day of Caring as a
group helped them get to know each other.

“Today’s involvement not only visibly benefited the
surrounding communities, but also transformed students of many
backgrounds into one family,” said Anthony “TJ”
Sumigray, an Amsterdam, N.Y., native who has lived in Buffalo for
the past year prior to enrolling in the MBA program.

And many students just enjoyed the day for the pure pleasure of
helping others.

“I really loved trimming trees today,” said Charu
Bhadouria, who just came to Buffalo on Aug. 9 from India for the
MBA program. “I truly believe what Mother Teresa said,
‘It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put
into giving.’”

Please leave blank

Comments

The UB Reporter welcomes comments from its readers. Please
submit your comments in the box below.